Throughout this page, the currencies referred to are as follows: $US, £UK (sterling), Euros and £E (Egyptian Pound).
The Currency in Egypt is the Egyptian pound ( referred by LE -Livre Egyptienne)and it is divided into 100 piaster. In Arabic it is called Genaeh. Pls Note,
Look carefully at the banknote because sometimes people are a bit confused with Egyptian money. read the note value on the English face if you couldn't read Arabic
When you exchange your currency with Egyptian currency go to an exchange company, a bank or ask at the hotel or your guide .
You will find so many exchange offices in Egypt you might be surprised of the how many they are.
When you tip hotel servant, waiter .its ok to use Egyptian pounds,dollars or english pound.
Currency conversion:
$1 (US) is 5.49 Egyptian pounds
£1 (UK) is 8.51 Egyptian pounds
1 Euro is 7.50 Egyptian pounds
Electricity
The electricity current is 220 volts, 50 Hz, and uses round-pronged plugs. North American and other non 220-volt users are advised to bring a converter!
If you are coming from the UK, you will need only an adaptor for your plugs (these are available from most high street shops – etc.)
Travelling alone advice:Egypt as a tourist cannot be compared with other countries. Things are cheaper here. Even entry fees to the sites are cheaper than many other countries. Flying to Egypt is cheaper from many tourist destinations around the world. Nowadays you can even get an organized package trip for $500 with accommodation!
Often I will advice travellers to avoid getting taxis to tour the sites. What do you expect from a local taxi driver, who cares nothing but how much you will pay him at the end of your trip? This is the job of a travel agency, or a local licensed guide to do.
Making a phone call:
To call any country outside Egypt, dial your country code, then city code then number.To call Egypt from abroad, the country code is 002.If you have friends calling you from North America or Australia while you are in Egypt, tell them to dial 011 before dialling country code.List of some of the local dialling codes:
Cairo
Luxor
Alexandria
Aswan
Sharm Elshiek
Hurghada
Ismalia
02
095
03
097
069
065
064
ADDITIONAL HINTS AND TIPS
Egypt is a Muslim country, so please respect their faith. Many things that you take as the norm, such as kissing and/or fondling your partner in public, wearing revealing clothing etc., are frowned upon here, so try and be more conservative in your attitude. Homosexuality is actually illegal in Muslim countries!
Have a look at our site to get more hints and tips from other travelers. If you have any questions before your trip, ask on the forum, no matter how trivial you may feel the question is.
If you are travelling alone, or in a couple, and wish to organise everything yourself, please let us know your plans before you leave. If you should get lost, the hotel will be able to act on your behalf! Also, take a note of the hotel’s name and telephone number, in case you do get lost, or change your plans.
Never drink the tap water! It is okay to wash, shower and clean your teeth with it, but not advised to drink. Bottled water is cheap and plentiful; use it instead!
In Egypt they drive on the right, be careful when crossing roads. Take special care in Cairo, where the traffic is a lot busier than in other Egyptian cities – especially outside the Egyptian museum! UK and Japanese travelers should be extra careful, as you will be used to traffic driving on the left.
Get your visa at your destination airport; it often works out cheaper than getting it at home. Also you can exchange your $, £ or Euro at the same time
If you are going to be using the Abela Sleeper Train service, please try and make your reservation in advance. For help with this, contact us for this .
Internal flights by Egypt Air must be booked in advance as well.
When you pay for a group excursion, the price includes everything except for tips (sometimes admission prices are not included). This includes transport, a driver, a tour guide, tolls etc. Some longer excursions may even include a stop for lunch (often included in the price too). Many will take you to places where Ancient crafts are still practised, giving you the chance to buy good quality merchandise at low prices.
Buy (and drink) plenty of water. You will find it a lot cheaper to buy in the various shops, than buying at your hotel or cruise boat. You may not drink a lot of water at home, but make sure you do in Egypt. It is very easy to become dehydrated if you don’t.
Admission to all sites is payable in LE, so make sure that you carry enough with you. Try and plan each day in advance, work out how much you will need for admissions, and keep this money separate from your spending money.
You will find that many tours (especially to the desert sites) are done either early morning or late afternoon. The reason for this is because of the heat in the middle of the day. If you do want to visit sites independently, please try and follow the example of the experienced tour organisers and avoid the midday sun!
Make up a small “medical-kit” before you go! Include things like safety pins, plasters (different sizes), antiseptic cream, diarrhoea tablets, headache tablets and sun cream (high factor advised).
Wear sensible footwear when visiting the various sites. High heels and open toe shoes are not advisable. The floors of most sites are either sand or rough-cut, uneven stone. Inside many tombs, wooden floorboards have been installed, but thin heels could get caught in the gaps between the floorboards.
Many monuments have signs that say “ No Flash Photography”, please obey these signs (you can be ejected from the site if you ignore the sign!). The very bright flash can cause serious damage to some of the ancient paintwork!
Some reliefs have depictions that show male genitalia – this is not pornography, so there is no reason to be offended! If you are part of a group (of any size) the leader/guide will explain the reason for the depiction.
When visiting the West Bank sites at Luxor, again take plenty of water with you! You will be there for either ½ day or a whole day (with a break for lunch) and it can become very hot, drink a lot of water to avoid dehydration!
Ladies, if you intend visiting the inside of one of the pyramids, please wear trousers (or jeans). You may have to ascend/descend ladders and/or crawl through narrow passages. For the same reasons, I would advise men to avoid wearing short trousers.
Public transport (town bus services, and in Cairo, the Metro!) in Egypt is very cheap, but try and avoid it if you can. You will only put yourself into an awkward position having many locals staring and talking about you. Taxis are not expensive so use these for travelling about town. Your hotel will let you know the best companies to use.
If you on a “multi-centre” holiday, and you will be returning to your first hotel before your departure, arrange to leave some of your luggage, and items you have bought, with the hotel. Most hotels offer this service free of charge (or for a very low cost) and it saves you having to carry too much to your next destinations.
Do not buy anything from the traders inside the Giza Plateau! The items they are trying to sell you can be bought a lot cheaper . Also beware the many people offering you camel rides, as they are not all genuine! Head for the main stables if you want a camel ride, or better still, arrange one at your hotel or your guide .
Many people, to save money, use the express train service, Cairo - Luxor/Aswan - Cairo. This is a long journey, though it is comfortable (and the scenery is breathtaking!). Before boarding the train, make sure you take some food with you, as the supplies “on-board” run out very quickly and are not replenished. A book is often advised, to help pass the time. Make sure you get the 1st Class, air-conditioned express train (normally, tourists have no option – the lower class carriages are for locals only!). They are non-smoking, but you can smoke in the entrance/exit area!
Do not feel that 5 star hotels are always the best! There are many 3 star hotels, that are Egyptian owned and run, that offer the same facilities as the big multi-national ones, sometimes they offer a better service and in most cases, a lot friendlier!
12 responsible travel tips
-• Before leaving home learn as much as possible about the countries you are visiting – the religion and
culture, the local rules and values.
• -Learn some language and don’t be afraid to use it – simple pleasantries will help break the ice. Keep
practising.
• - Learn what’s appropriate behaviour and body language. Like the concept of ‘saving face” in Asia or
giving the thumbs up in western or central Europe.
• - Support locally owned businesses, hotels, restaurants and other services. Eat local food and drink
local brands and brews. Use public transport, hire a bike or walk where convenient – you'll meet local
people and get to know the place.
• - Think first. It’s best not to eat in restaurants, shop in stores or visit local shows, markets or zoos that
promote cruelty or exploitation of endangered species.
• - Shop from traditional artisans and for locally made products, helping keep traditional crafts alive and
favour local products over imported items. Bargain if that is a local practice, but bear in mind that a
small amount to you could be extremely important to the seller.
• - Dress respectfully with an awareness of local standards. Dress modestly at religious sites and check
what swim wear is suitable for pools and the beach.
• - Always ask first before photographing or videoing people. Send them back copies of photos to help
make it a two-way exchange.
- • Be wary of giving gifts or money to beggars, children and people you have just met. Supporting the
community through a local school, clinic or development project may be more constructive.
• - Leave only footprints…take care of the environment as you would your own home. Take out all you
take in, to areas away from the cities. Use alternatives to plastic and say ‘No’ to plastic bags. For
cigarette butts, an empty film container makes a perfect portable container.
- • After returning home think how you can support programs and organisations that are working to
protect the welfare, culture and environment of where you’ve been lucky to visit.
